Tube element

ABSTRACT

A tube construction wherein on at least one end there is constructed a hook for the releasable fastening to a different structural part. A holding part of the hook is inserted into the end of the tube, and the tube end and the holding part are pressed together. The hook consists thereby of two plates which are spaced apart, and between which is pivotally fastened a safety bolt provided with a hook eyelet. The safety bolt has a locking element facing its axis, and the safety bolt has on its edge face at least one shoulder laterally offset with respect to the axis, which shoulder projects beyond the plates of the hook.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a tube element, for example, for braces, railings on scaffolding, support structures and similar tube constructions in which at least at one end of the tube ends there is constructed a hook for the releasable fastening of the tube element to a different structural part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Tube elements of this type are particularly extensively used on scaffoldings, for example, for railings; they can be easily attached and again removed, are light in weight and require little input during their manufacture. The hooks can have suitable locks in order to secure their connection.

[0003] A problem when installing railings is that two persons are needed for fastening and also releasing the railings, whereby the hooks are as a rule designed such that they must be simultaneously lifted from their fastening points. This is due to the fact that the locks must be opened simultaneously and must be kept open during lifting. A further requirement regarding such railings is that they must, on the one hand, be inexpensive to manufacture and, on the other hand, be able to tolerate high stress, which during rough handling is an absolute necessity.

[0004] It is obvious that an inexpensive manufacture, handling and fastening of such a hook on the railing is desirous, whereby screw connections should be avoided.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of the invention is to provide a tube element of the type mentioned above in such a manner that same can, on the one hand, be connected without screw connections to hooks or other fastening elements without reducing the strength of the tube and, on the other hand, the fastening elements can be constructed in such a manner that the tube element can be handled by only one person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The purpose is attained according to the invention by a holding part of the hook being inserted into the tube end of the tube element, by the tube end and the holding part being pressed together, by the hook consisting of two plates which are spaced from one another, and between which a safety bolt provided with a hook eyelet is pivotally fastened, by the safety bolt having a locking element facing toward its axis, and by the safety bolt having on an edge face at least one shoulder laterally offset with respect to the axis, which shoulder projects beyond the plates of the hook.

[0007] A fastening element of the invention, for example in the form of a hook, consists of a stamped metal part, which is advantageously designed mirrorinverted. The stamped metal part is bent toward one another about the axis of symmetry so that the two ends extend parallel to one another and thereby leave a space between one another in order to receive a safety bolt. The fastening part has a holding part which can have openings or, however, which has notches on its outer surface. This holding part is pushed into the tube, then the tube and the holding part are pressed together, whereby the material is pressed into the recesses or notches so that a form-locking fastening of the fastening element in the tube element is obtained. The safety bolt is fastened pivotally about an axle in an axle hole in the hook, whereby the lock projects beyond the hook with at least one shoulder, which is spaced, viewed in the direction of extent of the tube, from the axis for the safety bolt. One shoulder has advantageously a nose which rests on the hook or on the tube end in the closed state of the safety bolt. The safety bolt is designed in such a manner that it maintains its open position and in this manner can be easily placed over a tube end or a knob. To lock the tube brace it is then merely necessary to drive the shoulder into its end position so that the bolt fixedly grips around the knob or the tube.

[0008] In order to open the bolt, a hammer can either strike the free end of the bolt or, however, the bolt has a second shoulder which is arranged on the side opposite the first shoulder relative to the pivot axis for the bolt. This shoulder projects, when the bolt is closed, beyond the upper contour of the hook so that for opening of the bolt the nose must merely be struck, which is easier to do than to strike the face of the bolt below the railing brace.

[0009] A further solution according to the invention is that the tube end is lined with a tube sleeve, the cross section of which is chosen such that the outer contour of the tube sleeve is approximately equal to the inner contour of the tube end, whereby the length of the tube sleeve exceeds the one of the hook, and that the hook is constructed on a holding web from end pieces of the tube end and of the tube sleeve, which end pieces are compressed together flat in the area of the hook, so that a hook eyelet is taken out of the holding web.

[0010] By reshaping the end pieces into flat webs and by taking out of the hook eyelet, the resistance moment of the tube end is reduced; however, the lining of the tube end essentially or completely balances this loss of inherent stability so that the tub element can continue to be fully stressed even though its supporting cross section at the tube end has initially been reduced. The tube sleeves do not have any influence on the construction of the end pieces, they are just like the tube ends also compressed in order to construct the holding web and behave simply like a local elevation of the wall thickness of the tube element at its tube end.

[0011] The tube element is in many cases clamped into the scaffolding in such a manner that, assuming an appropriate design of the hook eyelet, an additional securing of the hook can be eliminated. However, when using the tube element on a railing, the locking of the hook will in most cases be necessary. The flat upset end pieces can for this purpose be spaced from one another so that a flat safety bolt can be mounted between the end pieces, which safety bolt can be pivoted about a hook axis arranged in the tube end, which hook axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube element. Such a safety bolt can be designed in such a manner than it closes the hook eyelet covering a different structural part and is locked in this position; the details for this are common knowledge in this technical field.

[0012] In order to design the connection of the tube sleeve with the tube end more intimately and in order to prevent a reciprocal movement mainly in direction of the longitudinal axis of the tube element, it is advantageous when beads or similar indentations are pressed into the surfaces of the flat upset end pieces of the tube end, which beads or indentations extend into the surfaces of the adjacent, flat upset end pieces of the tube sleeves.

[0013] The tube element is good-looking when the free end face of the tube end and the outer face of the tube sleeve are flush with one another so that it can hardly be recognized that the area of the hook is lined on the inside.

[0014] It is understood that the tube element must not necessarily be designed in the inventive manner at both tube ends; rather one of the tube ends may also be designed in a different manner. Thus it is, for example, possible that a first tube end is designed according to the invention, whereas, for example in the case of a brace, a clamping coupling lockable on a bar is fastened to the second tube end. The tube element according to the invention can also have a safety bolt at one tube end, which safety bolt is not needed at the other tube end and has therefore been eliminated. It is merely of importance that the tube element is designed in accordance with the invention at at least one tube end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The invention will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter in connection with one exemplary embodiment and the drawings, in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 is an isometrical illustration of a frame element of a scaffolding having several tube elements embodying the invention,

[0017]FIG. 2 is a front view, and

[0018]FIG. 3 is a top view of the frame element according to FIG. 1,

[0019]4 is a side view of the tube element of the invention,

[0020]FIG. 5 is a top view of FIG. 4,

[0021]FIG. 6 is a side view of a further embodiment of a tube element of the invention,

[0022]FIG. 7 is a top view of a development of the hook according to FIGS. 4 and 5,

[0023]FIGS. 8 and 9 are a side view and a top view, respectively of a hook designed according to the invention,

[0024]FIG. 10 is a side view of the safety bolt of the hook,

[0025] FIGS. 11 to 13 show the hook according to FIG. 4 in various closed positions,

[0026]FIG. 14 is a side view of a further embodiment of the invention,

[0027]FIG. 15 is a top view of FIG. 14,

[0028]FIG. 16 is a side view of a further tube element of the invention,

[0029]FIG. 17 is a top view of FIG. 16,

[0030]FIG. 18 is a view of the frame element according to FIGS. 1, 2,

[0031]FIG. 19 shows an enlargement of detail A of FIG. 18, and

[0032]FIG. 20 is a cross section B-B according to FIG. 16, all in a schematic, simplified illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The frame element 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 can be connected to a plurality of further frame elements, and can thus be completed to form a more or less extensive scaffolding. It consists of bars 2, which are connected to one another by traverses 3, 4 in pairs to form vertical ladder elements 5. The ladder elements 5 can in turn be connected by a diagonal brace 6 and platforms not shown in the drawings and resting on the traverses to form an inherently stable arrangement. The upper traverses 3 are reinforced by brackets 7, which are connected with short structural parts 8 to the bars 2; the knobs 8 have here a cross section corresponding to FIG. 19. Furthermore, short tube sections 9, which face one another, and on which railings 10 are fastened, are provided on the bars 2; they can be particularly well recognized in FIG. 20.

[0034]FIGS. 16, 17 illustrate a first tube element according to the invention, which can be used for the railings 10. Hooks 13 are constructed on each of its tube ends 11, 12. The hooks 13 are, as this can be seen in FIG. 7, punched out of a flat material and are then bent around their axis of symmetry 35, as this is illustrated in FIG. 9. The two ends, which form the holding part 31, rest closely on one another, whereas the plates 27 forming the hook eyelet lie at a distance from one another. The safety bolt 18 illustrated in FIG. 10 is then inserted between these two plates 27, whereby an opening 19 for the hook axle is provided in the plates 27 and also in the safety bolt 18. The holding part 31 has either recesses 32 and/or notches 33, which are used to form-lockingly fix the hook 13 in the tube. The end of the tube is for this purpose flattened with the holding part of the hook guided with respect thereto. The tube is thereafter pressed together so that the material of the tube moves into the notches 33 or holes 32. This results in a form-locking, permanently fixed connection between tube and hook. FIGS. 18, 19 show a top view of FIGS. 16, 17, and FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment, which shows only holes 32, however, does not show notches 33.

[0035] The hook illustrated in FIG. 10 has two shoulders 30 and 35 on its upper side, whereby the one shoulder 30 has a nose 34 which cooperates with parts of the hook or of the tube element. The nose 34, which lies on the other side of the hole 19 for the hook axle projects in the closed state beyond the contour of the hook 13, as this can, for example, be seen in FIGS. 6 and 13. This nose is used for the easy release of the hook so that same can be removed without any effort from its fastening element, as will be discussed later on.

[0036]FIG. 11 shows in an enlarged illustration the hook with the tube fastened on said hook. Furthermore a knob 37 or a tube is illustrated here, as it can be used to fasten a railing 10 or a brace 6, as this is illustrated in FIG. 1. This knob 37 can also be constructed as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20. To mount the railing 10 on a knob 37, the safety bolt 18 is open, as this is illustrated in FIG. 11. The locking element 28 of the safety bolt 18 has a two-step locking surface 38, whereby the locking surface facing toward the end of the locking element 28 has a greater distance from the axle hole 19 than the locking surface lying farther inside. When the hook is moved beyond the knob 37, the bearing surface 39 of the safety bolt, which bearing surface lies opposite the shoulder 35, comes into contact with the knob so that the safety bolt 18 is moved into its closed position. This is done automatically since the hook 13 is lowered hereby as a whole with respect to the locking element so that the first locking surface 38 can grip under the knob 37. This already gives assurance against a lifting out of the hook knob 37. The shoulder 30 is for the actual locking struck downwardly with the blow of a hammer so that its nose 34 will rest on the tube element or the hook, as this is illustrated in FIG. 13. FIG. 12 shows the position of the safety bolt 18, in which position a certain locking has already occurred, however, the nose 34 of the shoulder 30 does not yet rest on the hook.

[0037] When the locked connection is supposed to be released, it is sufficient to strike the shoulder 35 with a hammer, which shoulder projects in the locking position beyond the contour of the hook 13 and which shoulder is in front of the axle hole 19, so that the safety bolt 18 assumes again its position illustrated in FIG. 12. The safety bolt can then be easily manually released, and the railing can as a whole be lifted off by only one person.

[0038] A further exemplary embodiment according to the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, whereby this exemplary embodiment is distinguished by a hook 13 which can be manufactured decidedly inexpensively and which has a very high strength. Flat end pieces 14 are for this purpose compressed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis 15 of the tube element and form a flat holding web 16, which is central with respect to this longitudinal axis, and from which is removed a segment forming a hook eyelet 17 so that the hook 13 remains. The hook eyelet 17 is shaped corresponding to the cross section of the knob over which it grips snugly, and in this manner locks the tube element in direction of its longitudinal axis 15.

[0039] A flat safety bolt 18 is provided at both tube ends 11, 12 between spaced-apart end pieces 14, which safety bolt is pivotal in the holding web 16 about an axle in an axle hole 19 directed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis 15, and with which safety bolt the respective hook eyelet 17 can be locked so that the hook 13 is locked on the associated knob 9.

[0040] Whereas no further measures have been taken at the tube end 11, which is the left one in FIGS. 14, 15, in order to guarantee its inherent stability, it is demonstrated at the right tube end 12 how, in spite of the shaping of the flat end piece 14, nevertheless a continued high stiffness of the tube end 12 can be achieved so that same can be stressed significantly more than the tube end 11.

[0041] Already the unchanged tube end 12 is, before the end piece 14 is upset, lined with a tube sleeve 20 which is slightly longer than the upset end piece 14. The outer contour 21 of the tube sleeve 20 is approximately the same as the inner contour 22 of the tube end 12 so that the tube sleeve 20 can be easily pressed into the tube end 12; when the tube element and the tube sleeve 20 are composed as a rule of cylindrical tubes, then the arrangement is best constructed as an easy press fit, that is, not much resistance to the telescoping guiding in of the tube sleeve 20, however, at the same time axially orients same in the tube element.

[0042] After the tube end 12 together with the tube sleeve 20 are compressed so that the end pieces 14 are connected and the holding web 16 is constructed, the also shaped tube sleeve 20 is already fixed axially in direction of the longitudinal axis 15, as this is shown in FIGS. 14, 15; a first tapering 23 corresponding to FIG. 14, which tapering is created by the deformation, blocks a movement of the tube sleeve 20 in direction of the tube end 11, a second tapering 24 corresponding to FIG. 15 blocks the movement in the opposite direction. The locking is further improved by dimples 25, which can be driven in so that they deform the end pieces 14a of the tube end 12 until they extend into the end pieces 14b of the tube sleeve 20. The end pieces 14b are thereby spaced from one another in such a manner that in turn a safety bolt 18 can be moved between them in the same manner as this has already been described for the tube end 11.

[0043] The hook eyelet 17 is removed in a suitable manner from the highly inherently stable holding web 16 so that the hook 13 remains. The safety locks 18 can, if necessary, be blocked in a suitable manner in their locking position, for example, by the mentioned hook shape, which causes a form and force lock.

[0044]FIGS. 16, 17 illustrate a different use of a tube element of the invention so that it can be used as a diagonal brace 6 corresponding to FIGS. 1, 2. One tube end 12 is designed as described above (however, without a locking hook 18) so that the brace 6 can be suspended with the hook 13 on the knob 9, as it can easily be recognized in FIG. 20. The shape of the recess of the tube end is designed such that same can be mounted only essentially vertically on the knob 9, whereas it rests clampingly on the knob during rotation. Thus a separate lock is here no longer necessary. A clamping coupling 26 exists now at the other tube end 11′, with the help of which coupling the brace 6 is mounted on a bar 2, as this is shown in FIGS. 1, 2.

[0045] The described examples make it clear that the tube element of the invention has many uses and can be extensively modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tube element, for example, for braces, railings on scaffolding, support structures and similar tube constructions, in which at least at one end of the tube ends there is constructed a hook for the releasable fastening of the tube element on a different structural part, wherein a holding part of the hook is inserted into the tube end of the tube element, wherein the tube end and the holding part are pressed together, wherein the hook consists of two plates which are spaced from one another, and between which a safety bolt provided with a hook eyelet is pivotably fastened, wherein the safety bolt has a locking element facing toward an axis, and wherein the safety bolt has on its edge face at least one shoulder laterally offset with respect to the axis, which shoulder projects beyond the plates of the hook.
 2. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the face of the safety bolt has two shoulders lying on both sides of the axis.
 3. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the nose is shaped such that it projects in the closed position beyond the contour of the hook.
 4. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the safety bolt has on the side opposite the nose a bearing surface, which in the open position of the safety bolt extends into the space of the hook eyelet.
 5. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the locking element has a stepped locking surface.
 6. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder extending toward the tube element has a nose supported on the hook and/or the tube element.
 7. The tube element according to claim 1, wherein the hook is punched out of a flat material, of which two parts are placed against one another, and wherein holes and/or face-side notches are provided in the holding part, into which holes and/or notches is pressed the material of the tube element.
 8. The tube element, for example, for braces, railings on scaffolding, support structures and similar tube constructions, in which on at least one end of the tube ends there is constructed a hook for the releasable fastening of the tube element on a different structural part, wherein the tube end is lined with a tube sleeve, the cross section of which is chosen in such a manner that the outer contour of the tube sleeve is approximately equal to the inner contour of the tube end, whereby the length of the tube sleeve exceeds the one of the hook, and wherein the hook is constructed on a holding web from end pieces of the tube end and of the tube sleeve, which end pieces are upset together flat in the area of the hook, so that a hook eyelet is removed from the holding web.
 9. The tube element according to claim 8, wherein the flat upset end pieces form a holding web which is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube element.
 10. The tube element according to claim 8, wherein the flat upset end pieces are spaced from one another.
 11. The tube element according to claim 10, wherein a flat safety bolt is pivotal about a hook axis between the end pieces, which hook axis is arranged in the tube end and is positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube element.
 12. The tube element according to claim 8, beads or similar indentations are deepened into the surfaces of the flat upset end pieces of the tube end, which beads or indentations extend into the surfaces of the adjacent, flat upset end pieces of the tube sleeves.
 13. The tube element according to claim 9, wherein the free end face of the tube end and the outer face of the tube sleeve are flush with one another.
 14. The tube element according to claim 8, wherein the height of the recess of the hook eyelet is greater than its width, and wherein the height of the knob is greater than the width of the recess.
 15. The tube element according to claim 14, wherein the width of the recess of the hook eyelet becomes smaller toward its opening. 